Magnetic separator for mixtures of magnetic and non-magnetic material



Dec. 13, 1966 E. J. TENPAS ETAL 2 3 MAGNETIC SEPARATOR FOR MIXTURES OFMAGNETIC AND NON-MAGNETIC MATERIAL Filed July 1'7, 1965 2 Sheets5h,eet 1INVENTOR5 EMERSON I TEN/V41 RAYMOND A. mun? BY &

W20 KAN/4M1 Dec. 15, 1966 E. J. TENPAS ETAL MAGNETIC SEPARATOR FORMIXTURES OF MAGNETIC AND NON-MAGNETIC MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July1'7, 1965 FIG 6 INVENTORS EfiffR SON I TEN P4; BY KAY 101 0 A. M T

United States Patent MAGNETIC SEPARATOR FOR MIXTURES 0F MAGNETIC ANDNON-MAGNETIC MATERIAL Emerson J. Tenpas and Raymond A. White, Erie, Pa.,

assignors to Eriez Manufacturing Co., a corporation of PennsylvaniaFiled July 17, 1963, Ser. No. 295,646 8 Claims. (Cl. 209219) Thisinvention relates to magnetic separators and, more particularly, tomagnetic separators for removing magnetic materials from mixtures ofmagnetic material and non-magnetic material.

The device disclosed herein is particularly suitable for removingparticles of magnetic material from particles of non-magnetic material.

The magnetic separator disclosed herein has been invented to facilitatemagnetic separation and product improvement of magnetic and non-magneticmixtures. This magnetic separator enables a user to separate, up-grade,and purify magnetic or semi-magnetic products from nonmagnetic productsor vice versa.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide ameans of separating magnetic and non-magnetic components which could notbe separated with any other previous practical, continuous, oreconomical methods.

Another object of this invention is to provide a high purification ofmaterials consisting of high percentages of steel particles to therebyremove any or all non-magnetic particle contamination.

It is another object of the invention to obtain this separation byviolently agitating the material by magnetic means to shake and drop outthe contamination.

Still another object of the invention is to make use of gravity tofacilitate shaking free the non-magnetic particles from the suspendedagitating magnetic material.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a mag netic separatorcapable of handling large volumes of material in the range of 200 tonsper hour.

A further object of this invention is to cause a preagitation of thematerial by magnetic means, using a magnetic drum or roll withpolarities of the magnetic elements of the drum at right angles to thedirection of material flow.

The repetitive agitation is caused by moving the produuct acrossmultiple poles of a special permanent (or electro) magnetic field. Thiscauses the product to flip and agitate end over end as the product movesacross from north to south to north, etc. poles of the magnet.

It is a further object of this invention to vibrate the material fed tothe initial conveyor so as to provide a uniform thin flow for maximumseparation.

It is also an object to provide a machine having a rotating roll or drumwith axial fields and poles to shake and lift the magnetic product tothe conveyor belt, thus causing initial separation of non-magneticmaterials before the product is subjected to the agitating magnet.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an improvedmagnetic separator.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a magneticseparating device suitable for removing particles of magnetic materialfrom non-magnetic material and depositing them, respectively, intoseparate bins.

Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a magneticseparating device which is simple in construction, economical tomanufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement Patented Dec. 13, 1966 of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, itbeing understood that changes may be made in the form, size,proportions, and minor details of construction without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a magnetic separating device according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an optional construction of a feeding device for themagnetic separator;

FIG. 4 shows a conveyor type feeding device for the separator shown inFIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the magnet support.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the magneticseparator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a frame 1 made of suitable ironfabrications as shown. A lower endless belt 8 and an upper endless belt9 are supported on the separator. The lower belt 8 is supported on alower conveyor tail drum 7 and a lower conveyor drive drum 6 which aresupported on suitable pulley blocks driven by a drive mechanism 12through suitable belts.

The upper belt 9 is supported above the lower belt 8. An upper conveyordrive drum 4 is located intermediate the ends of the belt 8 and thelower conveyor drive drum 6 is located intermediate the ends of the belt9. These conveyor belts rotate in a direction opposite to each other sotheir adjacent sides move in the same direction and material will fallon the belt 8 from a feeder 15 and be carried under the belt 8. As thematerial moves under a magnetic concentrator assembly 11, the magnetswill lift the material from the belt and carry the material along withthe belt to the ends of the magnet assembly where it will drop into amagnetic hopper 2.

The non-magnetic material will be unaffected by the magnets on theconcentrator assembly 11 and this material Will fall off of the end ofthe belt 8 into a non-magnetic hopper 3.

Pillow blocks 10 are slidably supported on the vertical support members30 and they can be moved up and down by means of set screws 31 and 32.This increases and decreases the strength of field through the belt. Thebelt 8 can be tightened by means of set screws 20.

During operation, the material to be sorted is carried by a conveyor 33and slides down a chute 34 onto the vibratory feeder 15. From here, itis fed at a controlled rate onto the belt 8 where it moves across thedrum 7.

The drum 7 has circumferentially spaced fields of alternate polarityaround its circumference. These fields may be formed by U-shapedpermanent magnets supported inside the drum in a conventional mannerwith each pole extending from one side of the drum to the other. Thisarrangement of polarity causes the material to fiip over and over as itmoves along the belt 8. The drums 7, 107, and 307 could be made in themanner of the drums shown in Patent No. 2,535,719 which shows permanentmagnets 8 with pole pieces 10 extending from one side of the drum to theother.

As the material moves under the belt 9, the permanent magnets of theconcentrator assembly 11 which have alternate polarities along thelength of the belt and the magnetic poles extending across the beltcause the magnetic material to flip over and over as it moves alongbetween the belts. When the magnetic material reaches the end of thebelt 8, it adheres to the belt 9 and is carried onto the magnetic hopper2 while the non-magnetic material falls off the end of the belt 8 intothe hopper 3.

When the material is fed from the feeder 15 onto the belt 8, thepermanent magnets in the drum 7 will induce magnetism into the magneticparticles and recondition them by causing them to be attracted to eachother. Their behavior is such that they arrange themselves into shortstrings or slivers. The induced magnetism remains in these strings.Then, as the material moves with belt 8 under the permanent magnets inthe concentrator assembly 11, the magnetic strings are automaticallyaligned parallel to the magnetic lines of force of the permanentmagnets. Then it will be observed that as the particles move because offricton and momentum through the arc shaped magnetic fields of thesucceeding magnets, the strings must travel in an end-over-end path,accomplishing the desired agitation, thereby shaking out the occludednon-magnetic particles.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, a belt 208corresponding to the belt 8 in FIG. 1 is shown. This belt is supportedon a drum 207 which is a magnetic pulley as shown in FIG. 1. The drummay be tightened by a set screw 220. Material is fed through a hopper234 and it moves down to a vibratory feeder 235 where it is deposited onthe belt drum in the same manner as in FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4, a conveyor 335deposits material in a chute 334 where it moves down into a vibratoryconveyor 315. From thence, the magnetic material is picked up by a belt308 and carried along the top of the belt while the nonmagnetic materialfalls down from the end on the vibratory feeder 315 into a suitablehopper. This action is carried out because a drum 307 has spaced magnetstherein as in FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. to 8, the machine hasa frame 101 which supports a magnetic hopper 102 and a non-magnetichopper 103 which are disposed at the discharge ends of belts 109 and108, respectively. The belt 109 is supported on drums 104 and 105 whichare, in turn, carried by pillow blocks 110 vertically adjustable foradjusting the angle of the belt 109 relative to the belt 108 andrelative to frame members 114. The belt 108 is supported on drums 106and 107 which may be adjusted in the same manner as in the embodimentshown in FIG. 1. The drums are driven by a suitable drive mechanism 112which is illustrated in FIG. 6 and has a chain guard 137. A vibratoryfeeder assembly 115 carries the material from a suitable conveyorthrough a trough 116 onto the belt 108.

The drum 107 has spaced permanent magnets around the inner peripherythereof in a well known manner with horseshoe magnets extending from oneside to the other of the pulley. These permanent magnets may be in theform of horseshoe magnets with each leg of each magnet extendingtransversely from side to side of the roll so that the magnetic polarityon the outer periphery of the roll alternates from north, south, north,south around the periphery of the roll.

The magnets of a concentrator 111 are supported above the belt with likepoles adjacent each other so that the polarity along the belt alternatesnorth to south to north. The magnetic concentrator 111 can be moved upor down or change its spacing from the belt 109 by adjusting nuts 140 onbolts 141, thereby controlling the strength of the magnetic field in theworking area. These nuts 140 rest on either side of lugs 142 which arewelded to members 130.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents without departing from the invention whichis to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A magnetic separator for separating magnetic and non-magneticmixtures comprising:

an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor supported one above the other andclosely spaced to each other,

one end of said upper conveyor being disposed intermediate the ends ofsaid lower conveyor,

one end of said lower conveyor being disposed intermediate the ends ofsaid upper conveyor,

magnetic means spaced along said upper conveyor adjacent said lowerconveyor,

said magnetic means having poles extending from one side of saidconveyors to the other and of alternate polarity along said upperconveyor,

a feeder for feeding material onto said lower conveyor,

and a receptacle for magnetic material adjacent the end of said upperconveyor, said lower conveyor being supported on a drum adjacent saidfeeder, said drum having spaced permanent magnetic pole means under saidlower conveyor spaced adjacent said feeder having like poles extendingfrom one side of said drum to the other.

2. The magnetic separator recited in claim 1 wherein said permanentmagnetic pole means comprises a magnetic member having a plurality ofhorseshoe magnets arranged with the south pole of each magnet toward thesouth pole of the next adjacent magnet at one side with its north poletoward the north pole of the next adjacent magnet at the other side.

3. The separator recited in claim 1 wherein said upper conveyor is anendless belt supported on spaced drums,

and said lower conveyor is an endless belt supported on spaced drumsincluding said first drum,

one said drum supporting said upper conveyor being disposedapproximately midway between a said drum supporting said lower conveyor.

4. The separator recited in claim 3 wherein said first permanentmagnetic pole means comprises spaced permanent magnets on the insidethereof whereby magnetic poles of alternate polarity are disposed aroundthe periphery of said drum.

5. The separator recited in claim 1 wherein said permanent magnetic polemeans comprises a magnetic member having horseshoe magnets with legs oflike polarity being disposed adjacent each other and the legs thereofextending transversely of said conveyors.

6. The separator recited in claim 5 wherein said magnetic means has anadjustable means thereon for moving said magnetic means toward and awayfrom said conveyors.

7. A magnetic separator for separating magnetic and non-magneticmixtures comprising two spaced upper drums and two spaced lower drums,

and upper belt on said upper drums,

a lower belt on said lower drums,

means to rotate said upper drums and said lower drums and to move theadjacent sides of said belts in the same direction,

means to adjust one said drum to bring said belts into proximaterelation to each other,

a magnetic member between said upper drums having a portion thereofdisposed adjacent the inside portion of said upper belt and adjacentsaid lower belt,

magnetic means in one said drum supporting said lower belt comprisingspaced poles of alternate polarity around said drum,

feeding means at one end of said lower belt, a non-magnetic receivingmeans disposed below the opposite end of said lower belt, ReferencesCited by the Examiner and a magnetic material receiving means disposedbe- UNITED STATES PATENTS low the end of said upper belt opposite saidfeeding 404,333 5/1389 n et 1 means 5 531,301 12/1894 Buchanan. 8. Theseparator recited in claim 7 wherein 5/1949 Dr eschef X means isprovided to move said upper belt and said 2535719 12/1950 Bhnd 209*219lower belt toward and away from each other, HARRY B. THORNTON, PrimaryExaminer.

and separate means is provided to move said magnetic FRANK W. LUTTER,Examiner.

means toward and away from said upper belt. 10 L. H. EATHERTON,Assistant Examiner.

1. A MAGNETIC SEPARATOR FOR SEPARATING MAGNETIC AND NON-MAGNETICMIXTURES COMPRISING: AN UPPER CONVEYOR AND A LOWER CONVEYOR SUPPORTEDONE ABOVE THE OTHER AND CLOSELY SPACED TO EACH OTHER, ONE END OF SAIDUPPER CONVEYOR BEING DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID LOWERCONVEYOR, ONE END OF SAID LOWER CONVEYOR BEING DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THEENDS OF SAID UPPER CONVEYOR, MAGNETIC MEANS SPACED ALONG SAID UPPERCONVEYOR ADJACENT SAID LOWER CONVEYOR, SAID MAGNETIC MEANS HAVING POLESEXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID CONVEYORS TO THE OTHER AND OF ALTERNATEPOLARITY ALONG SAID UPPER CONVEYOR, A FEEDER FOR FEEDING MATERIAL ONTOSAID LOWER CONVEYOR, AND A RECEPTACLE FOR MAGNETIC MATERIAL ADJACENT THEEND OF SAID UPPER CONVEYOR, SAID LOWER CONVEYOR BEING SUPPORTED ON ADRUM ADJACENT SAID FEEDER, SAID DRUM HAVING SPACED PERMANENT MAGNETICPOLE MEANS UNDER SAID LOWER CONVEYOR SPACED ADJACENT SAID FEEDER HAVINGLIKE POLES EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID DRUM TO THE OTHER.